


All The Things Paul Hated

by TisBee



Series: Starkid Writes [1]
Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid, The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid, The Hatchetfield Universe
Genre: Blind Date, F/M, Fluff, paul is awkward
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:53:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23082037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TisBee/pseuds/TisBee
Summary: A list of the things Paul hates1. Musicals2. Blind dates3. Black Friday4. Ted5. Nerves6. Melissa?7. NOT the pretty barista from Beanies
Relationships: Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins
Series: Starkid Writes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658902
Comments: 8
Kudos: 49





	All The Things Paul Hated

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic with the Starkid Writes Discord, I hope you enjoy :)  
> (The prompt was blind date and Black Friday)

It was fairly safe to say that Paul did _not_ like Black Friday. Which was probably why he was avoiding everything to go on a blind date that could not possibly go anywhere.

He wasn't too big on dates either, he was always far too forward or couldn't find any words to say. That scared off anyone he might have been interested in quicker than he could get scared away by them.

He wasn't the greatest at 'dating' by any stretch of the imagination, and he was only going on this one because his coworkers were desperate for him to stop moping, and get over the pretty barista from Beanies- whom Paul hadn't even tried to talk to. He didn't even know her name for goodness sakes!

He'd even had to stop going there with Ted because he stopped trying to hit on her for him, and started trying to hit on her for Paul. That did nothing to make Paul look good, in any way.

He often wondered why he was even _friendly_ with Ted, let alone friends with him.

It was perfectly clear to Paul that nothing would come from a dumb blind date.

Who even thought of the concept? Why would anyone want to go on a date with someone they'd never even seen before, let alone met? They could be a serial killer!

And yet here he was, on the worst day of the year, doing something he had never planned on doing in his life.

He hated Black Friday. It was all so busy and loud and so many companies decided the best way to make sales was to put out adverts with a song in them. Why did they feel the need to do that? It didn't make any sense. Who in their right mind heard a ridiculously upbeat jingle and thought to themselves 'yes, I want to buy that product'? Certainly not him.

God, what if his date liked musicals? What would he do then? If there was one thing he loathed, it was musicals.

Who actually _liked_ sitting there watching people overact and sing and _dance?_ It was so uncomfortable! If it happened in real life, there'd be an international panic, but of course it's perfectly alright on stage where people can willingly go and see it.

_It didn't make sense._

The date had been set up my Melissa and she'd assured him that everything would be perfect. Could he trust her though?

It was lunch time, and so there was hardly anyone out- probably because most shops were filled with riots Paul didn't even want to think about. Even the idea of them stressed him out, and he wasn't even there.

He was fairly early, so he stood awkwardly outside the dimly lit restaurant, anxiously checking his phone every few minutes.

It was then that he noticed just how nervous he was. He didn't even know if he wanted to get over the barista. She was pretty and funny and Paul was very much in awe of her. But again! He had never even had a proper conversation with her. How would it ever work? And why did he even need to get over her in the first place?

He didn't want to meet anyone else though. He probably wouldn't even like that someone.

How would he even talk to them?

He was about three seconds from leaving when he saw someone walking cautiously towards him.

He couldn't exactly leave now.

Great.

"Hi, are you Paul?" She asked. "I'm Emma."

Paul froze. It was the barista from Beanies.

He was going to kill Melissa.

"Y-yeah I am."

"Don't you come into Beanies sometimes? Black coffee, right?"

"Um yeah."

She remembered his order?

"With your asshole friend."

He was going to kill Ted.

Paul blushed. "Yeah. Ted. Sorry about him."

"It's ok. You're nothing like him. Better looking too." she winked.

"Sh-should we go in?" Paul asked, opening the door for her to walk through.

"I can open a door myself, you know." She told him, eyebrows raised.

"I was just- trying to be a gentleman?" Paul tried, hoping that wasn't the complete wrong thing to say.

Luckily, Emma chuckled. "Congratulations. I'm still not helpless though. I'm not some damsel in distress." She leant closed to him.

If Paul was nervous before, he had no idea what he was feeling now.

He was flat out terrified. That wasn't a good sign, was it? Especially on a date.

He'd literally come out here to try and get over her and it was already a disaster. Great. Just great.

This was absolutely _not_ what he had in mind when he daydreamed about a date with her.

Was that creepy?

When they got to the table, Paul made the executive decision not to pull out her chair for her and she flashed him a grin.

It nearly knocked him off his feet. She was so cute. And also could probably knock him out with one punch.

From what he'd gathered so far, it was not a good idea to go on a blind date. Especially if it's been set up by your friend who you _thought_ was trying to help get you over unrealistic crush.

He was never trusting Melissa again.

"So, uh, you know Melissa then?"

"Yeah." Paul said.

Emma smiled sympathetically. "And I suppose you were trying to get over someone else too then."

"Um, actually." Well, this date couldn't get much worse. "I was trying to get over you."

"What."

Paul regretted everything.

Melissa was officially dead to him.

"Not- not in a weird way. I've just had a crush on you for a while and uh my friends were tired of me sulking about it and-"

He cut himself off, quickly realising he was just digging his own grave deeper and deeper.

Emma was smiling at him. Practically beaming, in fact. That was... weird. She looked like she was about to burst out laughing, in fact. Was that good? That couldn't be good, right?

"So, uh, Melissa told me you don't like musicals? That was all she would tell me about you, so I guess you _really_ don't like them?" She asked, and Paul found himself actually relaxing. That was a relief.

"Yeah, the thought of just sitting there, trapped while people are on stage singing makes me squirm."

"My coworker, Zoey, is so annoying. She just sings! All the time!"

"I watched that film Moana with my buddy Bill's daughter. I hated it."

Emma nodded. "I just don't understand some people's need to watch movies clearly meant for kids. It just doesn't make sense."

Oh thank god, they had some common ground.

"I bet all the shops are full of people." He said.

"Yeah, Black Friday always baffles me. Like, what even if a cabbage patch kid? Why did people riot over not having one? I don't care!"

Paul laughed and he found himself actually really enjoying her company.

Maybe Melissa could life after all.

For now.


End file.
